Studying the Inflammation and
Depression Connection

Depression is not uncommon for anyone with IBD to struggle with at some
point in time throughout the cycle of their illness. The sadness and anxiety
that follow can be crippling for most every day people, couple those symptoms
with a chronic disease and you will have a very unhappy camper. Medical
practitioners are starting to take a more pro-active approach to treating IBD
patients with depression rather than dismissing it, however that is not enough.

The Sacramento Bee reported researchers
are starting to correlate heightened inflammation levels with depression
symptoms. Not only this, they also started tracking patients taking Infliximab
(Remicade) to see how their inflammation markers were in comparison to their
depression symptoms. Obviously Remicade is not a cure-all, but this study is a
good start for researchers and patients to take a closer look at finding ways to
reduce inflammation through diet to reduce or eliminate depression. Science is
neat.

Great News for Patients With
Resistance to Other Biologicals —
Recent Study Shows the Psoriasis Treatment Known as Stelara Can Be the Next
Infusion Drug for Moderate to Severe Crohn’s Disease

Ustekinuma, more commonly known as Stelara, has recently undergone a
clinical study sponsored by Johnson & Johnson sub-company Janssen Research
& Development and the findings
for treatment of moderate to severe Crohn’s disease are promising! They
were even published in the New England Journal of Medicine. For patients who over the
years have developed antibodies against other biological agents such as Humira
and Remicade, the options begin to dwindle, but fear not Stelara may be the
answer.

Before you read this
article, I want to point out that one person in the study was diagnosed
with basil cell carcinoma (skin cancer) during the drug trial, but that doesn’t
mean the drug caused the cancer. If a person catches a cold, breaks a bone, has
a heart attack or in this case is diagnosed with cancer, it has to be reported
during the clinical trial. That however, doesn’t mean the drug was directly
responsible.

Get a Better Understanding of IBD
Laboratory Markers Thanks to the U.S. National Institutes of Health's National
Library of Medicine

Inflammatory markers are used by doctors of IBD patients to predict an
oncoming flare, a patient currently suffering from one or a patient in
remission. These markers come from blood samples and are obtained by a much
less invasive means.

The fun thing about getting blood work done (there’s got to be something
positive right?) is that your results come back fairly quickly and sometimes
you even get to take a gander. The only problem is that if you aren’t a
healthcare professional, you probably aren’t sure about what you’re reading.
That is, until now. This handy article
from the U.S. National Institutes of Health's National Library of Medicine
helps explain why inflammatory markers are used in IBD treatment and how to
better understand them.

Australian Doctor Breaks Down the
Facts About Colonics

Thanks to living with IBD, many of us are sent emails about possible
treatments by caring friends and family. Some are about diets, life-style
modifications, and others include outside-of-the-box practices like colonics — where a tube is inserted in the anus and a high-pressure stream of
water is used to flush waste out of the colon. At its surface, the practice
makes sense. You are ridding the body of waste. But that doesn’t mean it’s good
for you.

In this article, Dr. Graham
Newstead starts off with a brief history of colonic therapy; it’s
fascinating how far back this practice goes. He gets into the nitty gritty of
the practice itself. Newstead, the head of the Prince of Wales Private
Hospital’s Colorectal Unit, lays out the facts in a very easy-to-read and
realistic way that doesn’t come across as a practitioner dead-set against a
nontraditional practice.

Herbal Treatments for IBD

The main component of Crohn’s disease, as well as a variety of other
chronic conditions, is inflammation. It’s no secret that herbs and certain
foods can help reduce inflammation in the body. This
article specifically focuses on Cinnamon and its positive contributions
toward inflammatory diseases and symptom stabilization.

It’s important to note that this is not a replacement for medication;
this is more of a way to help naturally stabilize your body.

If It’s Not One End, It’s the
Other —Washington Times Blog Talks About the
Crohn’s and Mental Health

Author of this article, Jacqueline Marshall, makes a great point, “If
it’s not one end, it’s the other.” So true. She brings up the relationship
between Crohn’s, the feelings of anxiety and helplessness, and the potential
for depression to set in. She also points out that this is more common in
Crohn’s than in other chronic illnesses. Throughout the article, Marshall
examines the symptoms of depression versus Crohn’s, how you can help someone or
yourself, and she discusses the potential for seeking medical help from a mental
health professional.

And guess what, ya’ll — at the end
of the article Marshall even said you can “find a colossal amount of good
information” on none other than Healthline!

It’s not often a college-run newspaper will devote an entire article to
living with Crohn’s disease, but the Annenberg School for Communication and
Journalism’s student-run Annenberg Digital News did. The
article features two young adults with Crohn’s, how the disease has
affected their lives and what they are doing to guarantee they can afford treatment
in the future. The article highlights two different kinds of mental struggles
young adults face when they are about to age-out of their family’s insurance
plans —jumping right into a career for the benefits,
and trying to attain as much education as possible in hopes of getting a good
job with even better benefits. It’s articles like this that help others know
they are not alone in their struggles.

Genetic Testing for Crohn’s Is in
Its Infancy, but a Theoretical Study Is Aiming to Provide a Model for Family
History + Genetic Testing to Help Assess Risk

If you ask someone with Crohn’s if anyone in their family
has it, they may not say yes right away but they are very likely to mention
they think they have a family member or two who probably had it. Answers like
that are not very helpful for the medical community. Because Crohn’s is such a
tricky disease to deal with let alone diagnose, there are many who go
untreated. Therefore, family histories are not entirely accurate. This
article helps break the myth between family history and genetic testing.

In regard to Crohn’s the article explains, “For less common diseases
involving many weak genetic factors, such as Crohn's disease, knowing family
history seldom helps in making a risk prediction, in part, because these
diseases are uncommon enough that they would rarely show up in the immediate
family health history.” And it further explains, “Crohn's disease might not
show up in a family history, but the risk prediction from a genetic test can be
relatively more informative.”

Gut Protein “T-Bet” Discovered in
British Study That May Hold the Key to a Healthy Balance Between Immune
Response and Intestinal Bacteria

Although in its infancy, this study
currently using mice has led researchers at the King’s College London how a
protein called T-bet plays a vital role in maintaining the balance of a healthy
gut. From this data, scientists have a better understanding of how a person can
develop the disease. However, this information is important for the future of
Crohn’s and UC patient treatments. The goal for researchers now is to figure
out a way to activate T-bet in order to stop the immune response that occurs
when the protein is removed from the mice. Fascinating stuff.

Get a Better Understanding of
Crohn’s and What’s Going on in the World of Treatment

Recently, Healthnewsdigest.com (HND) interviewed
Dr. Joel R. Rosh, Associate Professor of Pediatrics,
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Roth reviewed with HND how
exactly Crohn’s works, symptomology and how the PillCam SB is improving
diagnostic results.

The Future Will Hold Lots of
Things — Personalized Medicine
for Crohn’s May Be One of Them

Although not available for the treatment of Crohn’s or UC yet, recent advances
in medicine and science are paving the way to help map personalized treatment
for Crohn’s and UC through the types of bacteria found in the gut. This
type of treatment is similar to the kind used to treat certain forms of
invasive breast cancers. The reason researchers were able to develop this
treatment was that they were able to identify certain components unique to the
disease. So it is the hopes of IBD researchers that through testing, data, and
identification of all strains of bacteria found in the gut that they will be
able to cater specific treatments to IBD patients. Although this process is a
few years to a decade out, it is the promise of hope that keeps many of us
going.

National Institute for Clinical
Excellence (NICE) Sets New Guidance Standards for Better Guidance on How to
Better Manage Crohn’s Patients

From drug protocols and side effects, to patient opinions, doctors are
being given a better set of standards to manage their patient care. Some of the
guidance provided by NICE includes remission drug management protocols for
patients, such as which drugs should be used for maintenance purposes. The
standards also include that physicians should discuss specific side effects of
treatments, and they need to include their patient’s concerns within medical
notes. There are more guidelines and Nursingtimes.net does a great job giving
the highlights. This is a big win for the Crohn’s patient community, check
it out.

Looking for Ways to Raise
Awareness for IBD, Help Raise Funds for a Cure, and Meet Others Who Go Through
the Same Trials You Do? Get Involved!

Here is a list of events you can get involved with to help raise
awareness, funds and endorphins:

Each ride averages 70 miles a day and has 2 overnight camps. During the
Ride, you will receive support from GYIG staff and an all-volunteer crew. You
will also get to participate in an opening ceremony, as well as be provided
with meals and route support, including fully stocked rest stops, sweep
vehicles, and baggage transport between camps. In order to participate in the
2-day long ride, the requirements are an $85 registration fee and fundraising
of at least $1,250. For more info you can call 1-718-875-2123 or e-mail the
GYIG folks at info@ibdride.org.

Team Challenge is the CCFA’s endurance training and fundraising
challenge. Participants can run or walk 13.1 miles or train for a triathlon or
cycling event while helping to find a cure for Crohn’s disease and UC. Visit
the http://www.ccteamchallenge.org/
page to determine which event you’d prefer to participate in and then go from
there. If you aren’t sure about forming your own team, that’s okay they can
help hook you up with one. Pretty cool right?

This is another CCFA event involving walks held all over the nation.
One of the great things about this event is that is usually held in the same
place at the same time, every year. This means that participants can fundraise
all year long; up until the very day of the walk. The CCFA provides team
captains and their fellow walkers with fundraising ideas and support. So if you
want to go big on your fundraising efforts you will have the help of the CCFA
to guide you. To learn more about the Take Steps Walk visit their FAQ page
or fill out their Request
More Information Page.

Have a favorite charity that we didn't mention? Send us your
suggestions at: tracyr@healthline.com

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